Surgery Delay Claims

The prospect of going into Hospital for surgery is not something that anyone looks forward to, but once we have been told that we need surgery, all of us hope that the surgery will be carried out as quickly as possible, allowing us all to get on with our lives once more.

Surgery delays

However, for many there can be a delay in surgery being carried out with disastrous and often fatal consequences. Some delays are unavoidable, if for one reason or another a patient is too ill or medically unstable so that surgery is not advisable at that time.  Some surgery is delayed simply because there are not enough resources in the hospital, such as beds, to allow surgery to take place or even enough doctors to carry out that surgery. We are all to use to seeing headlines telling of a cash starved NHS which leads to surgical delay. Delays can also be because of negligence of the treating doctor in not appreciating the need for surgery.

Consequence examples of surgery delays:

1. The doctor who fails to diagnose a fractured jaw, sending the patient home with pain killers and words of reassurance, only for the patient to re-attend and be told that he should have had surgery on his jaw when he first attended and now the surgery he is going to have is more radical and carries more risks.
2. The doctor who fails to diagnose classic signs of appendisitis and the immediate need for surgery. The surgery is delayed for 48 hours, by which time the appendix has burst and the patient has severe septicaemia which could prove fatal.
3. The doctor who fails to make a correct diagnosis of compartment syndrome and delays surgery to relieve the condition; this delay causes the patient to lose his limb when surgery is eventually carried out after a considerable delay.

Claiming against a hospital for surgery delay

Compensation claims against Hospital Trusts for injuries suffered as a direct result of delays in carrying out surgery are increasing.  When a patient suffers physical or mental harm as direct result of the delay in the performance of surgery or the family of a loved one suffer financial losses because of the death of the loved one as a direct result of the delay in the performance of surgery, compensation can be claimed against the Hospital trust.

Claiming compensation for a surgery delay

Pinstripe make it easy for you to claim compensation. All you need to do is complete the simple online form opposite and the experienced and friendly claims team will handle it from there. It’s that easy.